1: Balsam Drive, Streetscape

Transcription

1 1. Description of Property 1: Drive, Streetscape Municipal Address Drive Ne (if applicable) Drive Streetscape Legal Description BALSAM DR (FORMERLY CENTRAL AVE) ; FIRSTLY ; BALSAM DR, PL 1009 ; PT LT 65, PL 1009, AS IN , S/T ; PT LT 82, PL 1009, AS IN , S/T , ; PT LT 82, PL 1009, AS IN , S/T , ; 8 FT WIDENING OF BALSAM DR, PL 3 Location of Property Drive easement and general streetscape from Lakeshore Road East to MacDonald Road. Ownership Public Access Site visit completed August 25, 2015 (AB, ES, CU) Current Use Residential neighbourhood Existing Designation Six properties are listed or designated under the OHA. General Description Drive is a long, straight street, 500 metres in length, with about 45 detached and semi-detached houses in a mix of sizes, scale, setbacks and ages. There are at least four mid- 19 th century and two 1920s houses on the street. The streetscape is characterized by a generally flat topography, the absence of curbs, soft or grassed shoulders at the road margins, and the placement of stones along the shoulder. Mature tree plantings line the street. Utility poles and overhead wires are present, but less apparent as a result of the number of tall trees. There is a partial sidewalk, but only on one side for half the length of the street. Although the character of the houses varies, the tree plantings and road character give the street a feeling of uniformity. Priority Level Medium Figure 1: Drive, north of Moorcroft Road, looking south (CU, 2015) 1-1

2 Rd. Mac Dona ld M ac Do na ld Cedar 241 Magnolia,, Blue Moo recro ft Beech Austrian Young &,, Blue Blue Lilac 184 Woodland & Cedar Willow 159 Cedar Cedar Honey Locust & Cedar s Black & Honey Locusts, 109 & Siberian Elm s Blue E. s Lake 114 shor e Ba lsa m Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 Dr. Drive (1/4) Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map LEGEND Assessment Boundary Building CHL Study Area Heritage District Heritage Trail Parkland Park Trail Road Cedar Site Structures Vegetation Watercourse Building of Interest Drawing not to scale

3 Mac Dona ld Cedar Cedar 241 Magnolia,, Blue Moo recro ft Beech Austrian Young &,, Blue Blue Lilac 184 Woodland & Cedar Willow 159 Cedar Cedar Honey Locust & Cedar s Black & Honey Locusts, 109 & Siberian Elm s Blue E. s Lake 114 shor e Drive (2/4) 241 Magnolia,, Ba Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map lsa m LEGEND Dr. Assessment Boundary Building Blue CHL Study Area oo re cro ft R d. M Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 Beech Austrian Heritage District Heritage Trail Young Parkland & Park Trail Road Site Structures Vegetation Watercourse Building of Interest Drawing not to scale

4 Cedar 241 Magnolia,, Blue recro ft Moo Beech Austrian Young &,, Blue Blue Lilac 184 Cedar Willow 159 Cedar 153,, 149 Cedar Honey Locust & Cedar s Black & Honey Locusts, 109 & Siberian Elm Woodland & s Blue E. s 114 shor e Lake Mac Dona ld & Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 Blue Blue Lilac 184 & Drive (3/4) Woodland Cedar Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map 159 Cedar Willow LEGEND Assessment Boundary Building CHL Study Area 153 Heritage District 149 Ba lsa m Heritage Trail Parkland Park Trail Dr Cedar. Honey Locust & Cedar s Road Site Structures Vegetation Watercourse Building of Interest Black & Honey Locusts, Drawing not to scale

5 Mac Dona ld Lilac Woodland Cedar 241 Magnolia,, Blue Moo recro ft Beech Austrian Young &,, Blue Blue Lilac 184 Woodland & Cedar Willow 159 Cedar Cedar Honey Locust & Cedar s Black & Honey Locusts, s Blue E. Willow s 114 Lake shor e 159 Cedar Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H Ba lsa m Dr Cedar. Honey Locust & Cedar s Drive (4/4) Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map Black & Honey Locusts, LEGEND Assessment Boundary Ba lsa & Siberian Elm m Building 109 CHL Study Area Heritage District Dr. s Heritage Trail Parkland Blue Road Site Structures.E. Park Trail Rd s Watercourse Building of Interest ke s ho re 114 Vegetation La & 109 Cedar 184 & Siberian Elm Drawing not to scale

6 2. Key Recommendations Priority = Medium Rationale for priority level: Potential vulnerabilities for development along streetscape; No formal protection on the streetscape character; and All existing built and natural cultural heritage resources may not have been documented. Recommendations for future action (in order of preference): Consider initiating a Part V Heritage Conservation District Study that includes the Drive streetscape; or Prepare a full evaluation report of the public areas of the street, with a view to passing a Part IV designation by-law to protect the cultural heritage value or interest of the right-of-way only, and describe its heritage attributes. With either option (Part IV or IV designation), planning tools outside of the OHA can be considered for managing the public and private components of the streetscape, including a reference in the Official Plan or secondary plan, a community design plan or zoning by-laws. Review the existing municipal heritage register entries for this street to ensure that they are accurate and that existing designation by-laws are correctly represented. 3. Documentation and Inventory of Built Form List of Built Features: A straight, paved street, 500 metres in length, with a sidewalk only on the west side, south of Moorecroft Road; Older drainage features, primarily in-ground with one, large, above-ground cap towards the south end; Field stones lining the road along several properties; About 45 single detached and semi-detached houses on both sides of the street, representing a mix of large- and small-scale structures, and a range of ages throughout the 19 th, 20 th and 21 st centuries; Two designated properties under Part IV, OHA: o 109 ( Clearview, built 1865), designated in 1989 (By-law ); o 114 ( Lawn or the Wass House, built 1878) designated in 1988 (By-law ); Four listed properties: o 153 (built c. 1920s) listed on Heritage Register, Not Designated. Reason for Listing: This property has potential cultural heritage value for its c.1920s Tudor Revival style stucco house. o 159 (built c. 1852) listed on Heritage Register, Not Designated. Reason for Listing: Patrick's House - this property has potential cultural heritage value for its c.1852 fre house. o 184 (built c. 1860) listed on Heritage Register, Not Designated. Reason for Listing: Sunnybank - this property has potential cultural heritage value for its c.1860 Italianate style stucco house. o 241, listed on Heritage Register, Not Designated. Reason for Listing: This property has potential cultural heritage value for its brick building associated with the Bell Telephone Company. 1 This by-law reference number is listed in the Municipal Register. It corresponds with a by-law to confirm proceedings of a council meeting. No record of part IV designation for this property was found through various searches of the Town s online by-law search database. 1-6

7 4. Documentation and Inventory of Natural Form List of Natural Features: Mature (approx. 100 years old) tree line along much of the street, primarily ; Generally flat topography with swales for drainage in some areas, primarily towards the south end of the road; Soft or grassed shoulders at the road margins; Notable landscaping at several properties, including: o mature s, s, Norway, cedars and forsythia along road, yews at front steps; o canopy of mature (property divided E-W by old row), massive in rear; o massive s throughout, some along road, old stand of and at corner of and Lakeshore; and o mature and. 5. Design (Typology) X all that apply X X Categories of Cultural Heritage Landscape Designed Landscape Organically Evolved Landscape Relict Landscape (Evolved Landscape) Continuing Landscape (Evolved Landscape) Associative Cultural Landscape Description clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by man. results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and has developed in its present form in response to its natural environment in which an evolutionary process ce to an end at some time in the past. retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life, and which the evolutionary process is still in progress. justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic, or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent. 1-7

8 6. Historical and Thematic Associations The historical information available for Drive is unclear and contradictory. The municipal Heritage Register indicates that there at least four houses on the street which pre-date 1878: 109, Clearview, built 1865 and allegedly designated under Part IV OHA, although no record of a designation by-law has been located; 114, Lawn or the Wass House, built 1878 and designated under Part IV OHA; 159, Patrick s House, a fre house built c.1852; 184, Sunnybank, Italianate stucco house built c At some point in the 1860s, Willi Wass settled, and later purchased a farm that included Lot 11, Concession III, SDS. 2 In the 1877 Map of Trafalgar Township, Lot 11 is located just outside the Town boundaries of Oakville. 3 The 1877 Map shows only two buildings on Lot 11 one in the approximate location of 184 Drive, and one in the approximate location of 114 Drive (Figure 6). Willi Wass ( ) was an auctioneer, land agent, money broker, notary public, conveyancer, accountant, farmer and magistrate. He arrived in Oakville in 1857 and settled and purchased a 100-acre parcel on Lot 11, Concession III, SDS, Trafalgar Township sometime in the 1860s. In 1878, he sold 90 acres of his land and had master builder Willi Lee construct a house for him Lawn on the remaining acreage. He lived there until his death in 1892, his wife until her death in 1903 and their daughter Rebecca until her death in However, the Municipal Heritage Register and a 2015 heritage report by Megan Hobson suggests that there were other 19 th century houses on Lot 11 that are not represented on the 1877 Map: 109 Drive and 159 Drive. 4 The Heritage Register indicates that 109 Drive ( Clearview ) was built in 1865 and designated under By-law That by-law does not relate to heritage designation and no record of a designating by-law for that property was located online. Willi Tailby, a fruit grower and tenant farmer, allegedly lived with his wife and children in a fre house at 159 Drive from c.1852 onwards. In 1890, Tailby purchased a four-acre parcel of land within Lot Tailby may have been farming this acreage since Around 1920, Tailby built two houses for his fily, at 149 Drive and 153 Drive. 6 Tailby s son, daughter and grandchild continued to live in the house at 149 until the brother s death in 1957 and the daughter s death in The current legal description of Drive indicates that it was originally called Central Avenue. The area was registered as a subdivision in Bylaw suggests he purchased the property in Hobson s research report suggests he purchased the property in Megan Hobson, Heritage Research Report: 149 Drive, April 2015: 6. The property may also have included part of Lot 12, Concession III, SDS, as the by-law describes an area bounded by Lakeshore Road East, Chartwell Road, Macdonald Road and Allan Street. 3 Walker & Miles, Map of Trafalgar Township, in Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Halton, Ontario, Illustrated, (Toronto: Walker & Miles, 1877) at p Municipal Heritage Register, listing for 159 Drive; and Megan Hobson, Heritage Research Report: 149 Drive, April It is not clear whether Tailby s land was within the area disposed of by Wass in 1878 or retained by Wass. 6 Presumably Tailby built the houses on the four-acre parcel purchased in

9 Figure 6: Detail of 1877 Map of Trafalgar showing general location of Drive Streetscape. (Pope, 1877) 7. Contextual Associations The Drive streetscape reflects an evolution of Lot 11, Concession 3 South of Dundas, from a prosperous farmstead on the outskirts of Oakville, to a residential neighbourhood in the mid-20 th century. The agricultural roots of the streetscape are barely visible, except in remnant components such as: the large estate houses at 109 and 114 Drive, the modest dwellings occupied by the Tailby fily (149, 153 and 159 Drive), and mature tree plantings along, some of which may be related to the 1890 sale of Wass farmstead land. Other mid-20 th century dwellings are located along the street (primarily at the south end), while more modern infill can be found along the entire road. A mid-century Bell building at 241 Drive, the Drive access to Central Public School, and various components of mid-20 th century infrastructure (i.e., drainage features, sidewalks) reflect the expansion of Oakville to include formerly agricultural land in Trafalgar Township. 1-9

10 8. Evaluation (O. Reg 9/06) O.Reg.9/06 Criteria 1. The property has design value or physical value because it, i. is a rare, unique, representative or early exple of a style, type, expression, material, or construction method, ii. displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit, or iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement. 2. The property has historical value or associative value because it, i. has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community, Criteria Potentially Met (Y/N) Y N N Y Potential Justification The overall streetscape, despite modern infill, is representative of mid-20 th century suburban design, anchored by agricultural design elements at the south end of the road. Not shown. Not shown. The streetscape reflects the transition of Trafalgar Township, at the edge of Oakville, from farmland (primarily fruit growing) to residential neighbourhood from the early to mid-20 th century. ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture, or iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community. 3. The property has contextual value because it, i. is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area, N N Y Not assessed ii. is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings, or N Not shown iii. is a landmark. N Not a landmark. Designer/builder/architect unknown The streetscape, in particular the vegetation, services, and fieldstones lining the road, are important in maintaining the character of the area as a well-established residential community. The south end of the street, in particular is important in maintaining historical links to the transition of the area from agricultural to residential. 1-10

11 9. Photographic Documentation Figure 7: 109 Drive, "Clearview." (CU 2015) Figure 8: Exple of modern infill with mature tree line and stone line. (CU 2015) 1-11

12 Figure 9: Drainage feature and sidewalk. (CU 2015) Figure 10: 159 Drive, c (CU 2015) 1-12

13 10. Analysis & Recommendations Potential Heritage Value: The overall character of the streetscape, as a result of the retention of vegetation (mature trees), municipal infrastructure (drains, sidewalks, lack of curbs), and street fronting landscaping (in particular rows of stones), retains a mid-20 th century feel. The road is anchored by several properties related to the agricultural heritage of Lot 11, Concession 3 SDS, which once comprised the Wass farmstead. Although some of these properties are less legible for their association to the earlier agricultural heritage of the area, the changes are consistent with the street`s evolution as a residential community and extension of Oakville. Actions: As an established residential neighbourhood, the streetscape character is currently protected by the 2013 Design Guidelines for Stable Residential Communities, however, the guidelines do not outline the specific features that are relevant to the Drive streetscape character, which reflects a transition from agricultural use to mid-20 th century residential community. The Town may want to consider the following options, in order of preference: Option A - Consider initiating a Part V Heritage Conservation District Study that includes the Seneca Drive streetscape, in order to identify the private and public components that contribute to the unique character of the area. The result of a Part V study can be a Heritage Conservation District Plan, a series of Part IV designations, or a series of listings on the municipal heritage register; or Option B - The Town may want to consider a Part IV designation by-law that applies only to the public components of the street (within the public right-of-way), if this is sufficient to capture the natural landscaping that gives the street is character. A full evaluation of the public areas of the street would provide the information necessary to prepare a Part IV by-law. With either option, the Town may also want to consider planning tools outside of the OHA for managing the streetscape and its public and private components, including a reference in the Official Plan or secondary plan, a community design plan to guide development, or new zoning by-laws that respect the character of the street. Finally, it would be important to review the existing municipal heritage register entries for this street to ensure that they are accurate and that existing designation by-laws are correctly represented. A medium priority level is recommended for the following reasons: Potential vulnerabilities for development along streetscape; No formal protection on the streetscape character; and All existing built and natural cultural heritage resources may not have been documented. 11. Sources Hobson, Megan, Heritage Research Report: 149 Drive. Report prepared for Heritage Committee, April Town of Oakville, By-law : A by-law to designate certain property as a property of historical and architectural value and interest (114 Drive) , Design Guidelines for Stable Residential Communities, Accessed October,

14 Pope, J.H., Map of Trafalgar Township, in Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Halton, Ontario, Illustrated, Toronto: Walker & Miles, Appendix A SCHEDULE A TO BY-LAW [114 Drive] Willi Wass was born in 1817 in the County of Lincoln, England. He Settled in Oakville in In the Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Halton, Wass was described as follows: He has always had a busy life, and has carried on the business of auctioneer, land and estate agent, stock and money broker, notary public, commissioner, conveyancer, accountant, and also farming operations, and has been very successful. He has for many years been an acting magistrate, and has taken a leading part in politics on the Reform side. In religion, he is a member of the Methodist Church of Canada. Wass purchased a one hundred acre farm in The farm encompassed an area bounded by the present day thoroughfares of Lakeshore Road East, Allan Street, MacDonald and Chartwell Roads. The house a 114 Drive served as the Wass s farmhouse. Willi Wass died in 1892, his wife in Their daughter, Rebecca, lived in the house until her death in Built by master builder Willi Lee, the [ Lawn] was constructed in It is described in Old Oakville (Peacock: 1979) as follows: The showy cornices with bracket pairs and drop pendants and the magnificently hooded doorway supported by enormous scrolled brackets demonstrate that Willi Wass knew just what he wanted and that Willi Lee was well qualified to oblige him. The Wass House is a fine exple of the joiner s skills at a time when mass production and mechanical decoration was becoming popular. At the se time, the building delicately balances a healthy degree of ostentatious bravado with an air of gentle dignity, for Willi Wass was both an auctioneer and churchman. The designation does not preclude demolition of the sun room addition to the west of the south wing and refurbishing of the exposed façade and minor alterations and/or additions to the west of the north wing provided that such works or construction are in keeping with or in sympathy to the original building. 1-14